State Police ready to take over patrols on Crescent City Connection when tolls expire

BATON ROUGE -- State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson said Monday that he anticipates having "12 to 15" officers patrolling the Crescent City Connection when the bridge police functions are turned over to his office Jan. 1.

The Times-Picayune archiveThe head of the State Police says his agency is ready to take over patrols on the Crescent City Connection when tolls expire at the end of the year and the current bridge police force is discontinued.

Edmonson told the Senate Finance Committee that he is still talking with Orleans and Jefferson police agencies about patrolling the approaches to the span and the areas near it.

The changes are in the works because the Baton Rouge offices of the state transportation agency is expected to take over operations of the bridge and ferry service in the New Orleans area when the tolls expire, as scheduled, Dec. 31.

"You are going to see a State Trooper or a Department of Public Safety officer patrolling on that bridge" when the current bridge police duties are terminated and tolls abolished. "It is important that we have a presence on that bridge," Edmonson said.

He said although his budget is still a work in progress, he would like to move the best bridge police officers to the Department of Public Safety to keep them employed and retain their experience on the span.

Edmonson said that the Department of Transportation and Development will position a tow truck on the bridge to help officers clear accidents and vehicle breakdowns more quickly.

Edmonson was one of several state officials and agencies to go before the committee to talk about their proposed budgets and responsibilities for the fiscal year starting July 1.

In response to a question from Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, Edmonson said that of the 2,662 workers he oversees, 467 of them are eligible to retire -- including 180 from the Office of Motor Vehicles, the arm of the agency that issues drivers licenses and auto registration tags.

Claitor has asked each state agency that has appeared before the panel how many workers they could lose under a revised retirement plan Gov. Bobby Jindal has asked the Legislature to consider.

Edmonson also told the committee that he has not had a State Trooper recruit class since March 2009 and the number of troopers has declined from about 1,110 to about 1,000 in the past four years. He said he has been able to bring some back on an as-needed basis to supplement the number of troopers on the road.

Earlier in the meeting, transportation Secretary Sherri LeBas said that two New Orleans area highway construction projects adopted in 1989 and placed in the state Constitution, to be financed by a special 4-cent share of the state's 20-cent sales tax, may now have to be built with other funds.

The two projects are construction of La 3241 between Interstate 12 and Bush in St. Tammany Parish; and a new Florida Avenue bridge, linking Orleans and St. Bernard parishes. Both are now in the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development program.

"The money (for the program) has just about been exhausted for these (two) projects," LeBas told the panel.

Deputy Transportation Secretary Eric Kalivoda said that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now evaluating the environmental impact of the St. Tammany highway for its possible impact on wetlands. He said that depending on the alignment the corps allows, the cost of the project could be about $250 million to $300 million.

The original plan for a high-rise Florida Avenue bridge, Kalivoda said, would cost about $500 million. He said that is too expensive for a bridge. "We have to find something that validates the Constitution, and serves the people well and is affordable."

Kalivoda said that the department is now looking at a mid-rise span over the Industrial Canal that would open to marine traffic "one or two times a week"' with the times posted well in advance for motorists.

"We are looking to get something in the range of a $200 million project instead of a half-billion dollar project," Kalivoda said.

Ed Anderson can be reached at eanderson@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5810.